


sea swept

by CapriciousCrab



Series: bingo 2019 [8]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: M/M, Mythology and Folklore, Selkies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 14:16:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21017141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapriciousCrab/pseuds/CapriciousCrab
Summary: Eager to get away from the city, Dan takes on the position of lighthouse keeper for a small coastal town and finds more than the solitude he was searching for.





	sea swept

**Author's Note:**

> Written for PFF Bingo 2019
> 
> prompts: water and mystery
> 
> *  
This is a prequel to [seafoam](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19839664) but can be read as a stand-alone fic.

He’s always been drawn to the water.

Dan sits on the sliver of beach beneath the shadow of the lighthouse and watches the waves rolling into shore. They swell and crest before breaking, curling under their own weight to become one with the sea once more. The rising sun paints each wave with streaks of rose gold, sparkling as far as Dan can see as he inhales, drawing the salty tang of sea air deep into his lungs.

He feels at peace here. Free from the confused, pitying glances so often directed his way by people who couldn't or wouldn't understand him and his desire for solitude. So he'd fled the noise and grime of the city and taken on the position of the lighthouse keeper and now he feels like he can finally breathe.

Wiggling his toes in the cool damp sand, Dan leans back on his hands and watches the rest of the sunrise. The day promises to be a warm one, the humidity making his hair curl madly as beads of sweat dampen his forehead. He already knows he'll be back later for a swim but now he has work to do.

He gets to his feet and stretches before brushing the sand from the seat of his jeans. Bending over to grab his shoes, he sees a flash from the corner of his eye, and he straightens up to gaze out at the water. He scans the horizon carefully and spots a dark shape bobbing in the waves. It's too far from shore to make out clearly but it watches Dan quietly for a moment before disappearing beneath the surface. 

A seal, perhaps. Or a dolphin, though those don't tend to come so close to shore. Whatever it was, it hadn't stayed around long enough for Dan to identify. Maybe next time, he thinks with one last glance at the empty sea before heading inside to start the day.

*

He grips the rail of the observation deck tightly, his hands sliding along the wet metal as the rain lashes against the lighthouse. The fierce gusts of wind threaten to push him off of his feet but he braces himself and stares intently into the churning sea.

He had been wiping condensation from the inside of the glass windows when he had happened to look out at the storm. The light swept over the frothing waves and Dan had spotted something that had stolen the breath from his lungs. Hurrying outside to get a better look, he hoped that he was wrong.

The light swings around once more, beaming out over the water and he gasps in shock at the sight of something there at the mercy of the waves. Spinning away from the railing, he moves back into the lens room and down the spiral staircase. He bursts through the door and into the storm, fighting his way through the wind as he ran to the beach.

Dan didn't stop to think about the danger of jumping into the raging water, didn't let himself acknowledge the fear trailing cold fingers down his spine as he watches towering waves crash down before him while he kicks off his shoes. Dan peers out once more and spots the shape again, the dark head disappearing beneath the waves and holds his breath as he dives into the water.

The water feels like ice against his skin and he surfaces with a strangled gasp. Dan struggles to keep afloat, his legs kicking furiously beneath him as he chokes on the water splashing violently into his face. He attempts to swim, his arms cutting through the surface of the water, but the waves lift and toss him as if he were seafoam. They batter him from every direction as they push and pull, dunking him under for longer and longer periods of time. 

His head barely breaks the surface as he takes his final breath, seawater spilling into his open mouth. He has a moment of clarity as he sinks; regret for a life cut short tugging at him mournfully as he realizes the futility of his struggles and lets himself go slack.

The last thing he saw before his eyes drifted closed was the blurry shape he had followed into the water.

*

He comes to on the beach and retches saltwater onto the sand. Dan heaves and gasps as he spits a final time and wipes the back of a shaking hand across his lips as he works to steady his breathing. He pushes up onto his hands and knees and wobbles. 

"Oh, careful there! Here, let me help you."

The voice that calls to him is deep, a soothing baritone that makes him think of dark nights beneath a cozy blanket. A slender arm comes around his shoulders to lift him to his knees, then pulls him to his feet with surprising strength. The storm still rages around them, lightning strikes illuminating the sea with eerie brilliance while thunder booms above their heads. It makes Dan cringe even as he opens his bleary eyes.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

The man holding him is just as soaked as Dan. Dark hair plastered to his head, his striking blue eyes nearly seem to glow in the hellish light of the storm. He's nearly naked, a thought that crosses Dan's sluggish mind but he's too concerned with staying upright to puzzle over that fact for long. All he wants is to get out of the rain and into his bed.

"Lighthouse. Please," Dan croaks roughly. His throat burns from the salt water he had swallowed, his chest heavy with it. 

The man doesn't say anything, just turns toward the lighthouse and starts walking. His arm is wrapped around Dan's waist as he guides them closer to safety, holding Dan steady as they stumble through pouring rain and into the little keeper's house.

Dan collapses in front of the fireplace in a shivering heap. A woolen throw lays bunched up into the corner of the sofa and he drags it over to wrap around his freezing body. He sighs as he tugs it around his shoulders and looks over at the man standing near the door.

He's tall, almost as tall as Dan, and pale enough to nearly glow in the dim light of the room. There's an elfin beauty to his features, his high cheekbones and brilliant eyes giving him a sort of otherworldly appearance. Dan looks over his slender frame and long limbs before realizing he's practically ogling the nearly naked man dripping water onto his floor.

"Fuck, I'm sorry! Let me get you a blanket or towel or something," Dan rasps. His throat feels scratchy and swollen, and he's desperate for a cup of tea. Maybe tonight he'll add a splash of whiskey, god knows he deserves it.

"Oh, I'm fine, really! Just a bit, uh, chilly?"

Dan snorts at that. "Just a bit chilly, huh? You must be from the North. I hear you have thicker skin up there." He gets to his feet and waits until his legs stop shaking before moving across the room to turn the kettle on. "My name's Dan, by the way."

"Yes, we definitely have thicker skin," the man laughs. "I'm Phil."

"I wish we had met under less dire circumstances but it's nice to meet you, Phil. Thank you for saving my life."

"Oh, but I didn't do much! I mean, you were already on the beach when I spotted you…" Phil says quickly.

He shoots a look at Phil, whose wide eyes seemed to be filled with guilt. Phil bites his lip as he fidgeted nervously, rubbing one foot over the other as his hands twitch at his side. 

Dan's sluggish brain has recovered a bit from his near-drowning and now he wants answers, his eyes sweeping over the man stood plastered against his front door.

"Was that you in the water then?" Dan can't help the frown he aims at Phil, his anger growing at the thought of someone being so careless.

Phil's eyes grow impossibly wider as he shakes his head. "No! Too dangerous tonight for swimming," he says quickly. "It was probably a seal. The area is thick with them."

He gives Dan a firm nod as if to convince them both. 

"I was having a bit of a walk when I saw you lying there on the beach. I thought maybe you were, you know, but then you rolled over and I ran over to help." Phil continues, creeping a bit closer to the door to place his hand on the knob.

"You're telling me I jumped in the sea in the middle of a raging storm thinking I was rescuing a man daft enough to go for a swim in weather like that, only to find out it was a seal?" Dan moans with embarrassment. "I am such an _ idiot _."

The sound of the kettle interrupts his mournful rant and he stalks over to turn it off. By the time he turns around to offer Phil tea, the room was empty.

Phil was gone.

*

Morning dawned bright and sunny so Dan makes his way down to the beach to begin picking up the bits of debris left behind by the storm. Puffins and kittiwakes swoop low over the water, snatching up plump fish for their morning breakfast as their wings spread wide to catch the breeze. Dan shades his eyes to watch the birds flit through the blue morning sky, smiling at their shrill calls of triumph. Turning back to finish his work he jumps at the sight of Phil standing silently behind him, dropping his armful of driftwood to the sand below.

"W-what the fuck!" he sputters. "You scared the shit out of me!"

Phil tilts his head in confusion before offering Dan a closed-mouth smile of apology. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you but you looked so peaceful. I didn't want to interrupt." 

He bends down and gathers the pile of wood Dan had dropped and offers it to him. "I came to apologize for leaving last night," he says quietly. "Are you well?"

Dan looks him over in silence. Phil is even prettier than he remembers; his thick, dark hair shining in the sun, his blue eyes unnaturally wide and bright. Dan lets his eyes roam over Phil's body and finally notices that Phil's wearing nothing but the swim briefs he had last night. 

The air is cool this morning, the way it is after a storm sweeps through but not a goosebump is raised on Phil's bare skin. He seems supremely unbothered by the chill, and Dan can't help wonder what the fuck they feed people in the north that makes them so resistant to the elements.

"Yeah, I’m alright. No lasting physical effects, anyway,” he murmurs. He’s trying his best not to stare but those briefs are tiny. And distracting. “Aren’t you cold?” Dan asks incredulously.

Phil looks down at himself then back at Dan. He shrugs and smiles another tight-lipped smile, “I’m alright.”

Dan hums but keeps his thoughts to himself. Something about this guy is a little strange, a little off. Perhaps it would be best if Dan kept his distance.

“Glad to hear it. Thanks for stopping by, Phil, but I need to get back to work. I'll see you around, yeah?” he says as he moves up the path toward the lighthouse. He glances over his shoulder to see a disappointed look cross Phil’s face before he gives Dan a little wave.

“Oh, okay. See you around, Dan.” Phil calls to him.

He’s gone the next time Dan turns around.

*

Turns out he sees Phil around a lot. He must be an avid swimmer because every time Dan looks, he’s out in the sea. He’s out in the water every morning regardless of weather and never seems to tire, sometimes even swimming out as far as the little rocky outcropping where he hauls himself out of the water to lay around in the sun. It makes Dan tired just thinking about all that exercise, but he can’t seem to stop watching the way Phil cuts through the water as smoothly as the seals that gather near the rocks.

Sometimes Phil will swim close to shore and wave at Dan sitting there on the beach. He hasn’t approached Dan again, perhaps afraid of being rebuffed once more, but still takes a moment to greet Dan before swimming out once more to finish his daily swim. He’s usually done by midday, not that Dan’s checking. He just happens to notice when he’s up on the observation deck, that’s all. All and all he seems pretty harmless, and Dan’s starting to regret his earlier aloofness. He enjoys the solitude of the lighthouse and finds his weekly trek into town for supplies fills his need for social interaction, but maybe having a friend isn’t such a horrible idea?

Determined now to be more approachable, Dan checks the lamp before heading down the spiral stairs and out to the beach. It's a hot and sunny day, the kind that blurs the line between sky and sea and he pauses a moment to shade his eyes and appreciate the gentle swells rolling toward the shore.

He kicks off his shoes before walking the length of the beach, the warm sand puddling up between his toes before slipping down the sides of his feet to leave behind shallow footprints. He's so absorbed by the pleasantly gritty texture that he doesn't notice Phil until he's practically tripping over him. 

“Phil?”

Phil is crouched behind a cluster of tall beach rocks, his back to Dan with his arms thrust into the nook found between. He jerks back, startled, and yanks his arms out quickly.

"Oh! You startled me," Phil giggles nervously. He gets to his feet and brushes the sand from his hands as he turns to face Dan. "I didn't even hear you coming."

"What were you doing?" Dan asks. He tilts his head a bit to see what Phil might have been digging for but gets distracted by the way Phil smiles at him.

"There was the cutest little crab that scuttled up this way. I just wanted to hold him for a minute," Phil says. He lifts a hand to shade his eyes and for a minute it looks like the colors of his eyes have shifted.

Dan blinks and looks again, but Phil's eyes are the same bright blue as before. Shaking his head at his own imagination, he smiles back.

"Don't get pinched," Dan laughs. "Sometimes they get a bit pissed about being held."

"Oh, well then I'd just eat him."

Dan chuckles and shakes his head. "I'm sure I can offer you something tastier than raw crab. Want to come up to the lighthouse for lunch?" He asks casually but he's nervous, his pulse fluttering a bit fast as he watches Phil face.

“Really?” Phil asks, his face brightening with surprised pleasure. “I’d really like that. Thanks, Dan!”

They walk back up the beach and take the narrow path leading to the lighthouse while Dan ignores the way Phil looks back over his shoulder toward that crop of beach rocks that he had been crouched in front of.

*

Weeks pass as one lunch becomes two, then several more until they’re spending more time together than apart. Dan likes to take lunch up to the observation deck, where he and Phil sit with their backs against the sun-warmed walls of the lighthouse. Phil had been awed by the view, pressing himself up along the railing as he gazes out over the open sea, only drawing away when he spotted a group of seals basking along the wave-lashed rocks.

It was here that Dan finally leaned over and kissed Phil for the first time, soft and slow. They wrapped their arms around each other and let themselves get lost in the joy of exploring each other, delicate and sweet. The moment spins out as time loses all meaning, a perfect bubble of their own creation before they break away to catch their breath. 

“I really like you, Dan,” Phil says breathlessly. "More than I thought I could."

"I like you too, Phil. So much," he answers back with a smile. He reaches for Phil's hand and rubs his thumb over the back. "I'm so glad you were on the beach that night."

Dan leans in for another kiss but Phil backs away. He looks into Dan's eyes for a long moment before taking a deep breath. 

"Dan, will you meet me on the beach later tonight?” Phil asks hesitantly. “There's something I need to show you before things go too far." 

Puzzled by Phil's behavior Dan draws back to try and read the expression on his face and finds a mix of nerves and determination and even a bit of fear. 

"Phil? Is everything alright?" he questions quietly. He lifts his hand to stroke Phil’s cheek and feels some of his worry fade away when Phil leans into Dan’s hand.

Phil nods and gives Dan a shy smile. "Yes, everything's fine. I just- I have to go now, I have a few things to do before tonight."

He gets to his feet and offers Dan his hand, pulling him up in an effortless lift. Phil presses his lips to Dan's cheek and heads for the spiral staircase, giving him a little wave as he goes.

Confused but happy, Dan gathers the remains of their lunch and tidies it away

He has things of his own to do before he slips away later to meet Phil, so he heads inside to tackle the list.

*

The beach is dark at night. The spinning lamp of the lighthouse illuminates the sea, alternating between slashes of light and black voids as it goes around. Dan waits near the water's edge, letting the gentle _ shushing _ of the waves soothe the tension from his shoulders as he watches bursts of heat lightning flash between the clouds. 

It's quiet enough for him to hear the sound of something splashing ashore. He strains to identify the dark shape heading toward him as he takes a careful step back away from the water. 

A lightning flash reveals the shape of a seal in the shallows. It lumbers closer as the light fades away once more, heading directly to where Dan stands frozen in the sand. He hears a sound then that he can't understand, the sound of something wet and cumbersome sliding about, and when the lightning flashes once more, he's shocked by the sight before him.

Phil stands there on the wet sand, rising above what looks to be deflated seal skin laying at his feet. His hair is wet and slicked back from his face and his eyes are a little too wide as he reaches down and gathers the skin up, holding it protectively in his arms.

"Dan?" Phil asks cautiously he takes a small step forward. He freezes when Dan takes a step back in reflex, his face falling at the sight of Dan's fear. "Dan..." He whispers forlornly.

Dan stands stunned and silent as he looks between Phil's apprehensive face and the skin he holds in his arms. A pelt, he thinks a bit hysterically. Not a skin but a pelt. Phil is holding the pelt of some animal while he stands nearly naked and…

Dan jolts as he sucks in a sharp gasp. "Selkie," he whispers, his eyes flying up to meet Phil's. "You're a selkie. They _ are _real…"

He's lived all his life with tales of selkies and merpeople swimming in his brain. Growing up near small coastal towns you get used to hearing the stories of women being bewitched by selkies or sailors drowning in an attempt to stay with their mermaid lover. He'd always assumed they were just tales told by local folk. But now Phil stands before him with frightened eyes, yearning on his face, and his pelt held carefully in his arms.

Phil takes a tiny step forward, and this time Dan holds his ground when Phil approaches. They are close enough to touch when he stops and looks up into Dan's face.

"Yes, we're real," he says simply. "The Selkie have existed since the dawn of time, traveling the expanses of the oceans."

Phil turns to face the sea and smiles ruefully. "I've been in this area for quite some time now and was preparing to move on, to find a new coastline to call my home. And then I saw you on the beach. You were sitting in the sand and looked so lovely in the sunlight. I wanted to know you, so I stayed."

"So that was you in the water," Dan murmurs. "The night of the storm."

"Yes," Phil says apologetically. "I saw you in the lighthouse, wiping the water from the lamp. I didn't think that you would see me, let alone enter the water. I'm sorry that I put you in danger."

Dan's mind is whirling, thoughts tumbling over themselves as he thinks back on the time he's spent with Phil and all the strange things he'd brushed aside. The way Phil just happened to be walking by in a vicious storm the night he saved Dan, his lengthy swimming sessions, the way he always visited the stand of beach rocks before coming to see Dan.

"Oh, of course," Dan says quietly as he pieces it all together. "That's where you hid your pelt, isn't it? By the beach rocks."

Phil nods. "Yes. It needs to be kept safe when I'm in human form."

Dan hums noncommittally as he takes it all in. "A selkie…"

"Dan… are you disgusted by me, now that you know what I am?" Phil asks hesitantly. He shuffles a bit and hugs the pelt closer to his chest as if for comfort.

"No!" Dan exclaims. "No, of course I'm not. I just- I just don't know what happens next now that I know." He shrugs his shoulders helplessly. "What do we do?"

"It all depends on what you want, Dan. If this is too much or you no longer want to be with me then I'll simply slip on my skin and go. I'll forget about you as soon as I leave the area and you'll never see me again," Phil explains.

Dan's stomach turns at the thought of never seeing Phil again. They may not have been together long but he knows deep in his soul that no other person could ever suit him as well as Phil does. 

"What if I want you to stay? Would you willingly give me your pelt, to hide it away so that you'll stay?" he asks. He knows what the legends say but he's not sure what the actual truth is.

Phil holds out his arms and offers his pelt to Dan. Dan strokes a hesitant hand over the skin and marvels at the silky texture before looking into Phil's face.

"If you wish me to stay you must hide it from me and never let me see it. If I were to find it, I would be unable to control the desire to wear it and then I would be gone and you would be forgotten. And I don't want to forget you, Dan," he says somberly, "because I've fallen in love with you."

Dan lifts the pelt from Phil's arms and doesn't resist the urge to press a soft kiss to Phil's cheek. He steps back with the bundle held carefully in his arms.

"I love you too and want you to stay, Phil. If you want to be with me then I want you to stay," Dan says.

"Then go, quickly, and find a safe place for it! I'll be waiting here for you." Phil says urgently. He turns and looks at the sea once more, giving it a melancholy stare. "Hurry, please."

Dan turns and heads to the lighthouse keeper's cottage. He knows where he can safely keep Phil's pelt and scurries to get the deed done before returning to Phil on the beach.

Phil turns as he approaches, a tremulous smile on his lips. Dan holds out his arms and feels a sense of relief flood his body when Phil moves into them without any sense of hesitation.

"I love you, Dan". 

The words are soft and float gently to his ears, making him shiver with delight. He hugs Phil closer and rests his cheek atop Phil's head.

"I love you too, Phil," he whispers back. He presses a kiss to the top of Phil's head then pulls away to reach for his hand. "Let's go home."

Hand in hand they make their way up the path, heading toward a sea-swept home that now belongs to them both.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> You can like and reblog [here](https://capriciouscrab.tumblr.com/post/188323727735/sea-swept-rating-t-word-count-41k) if you want :)


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